FG announces preferred, reserve bidders for airports concession

The federal government says preferred and reserve bidders have been selected for the concession of Nigerian airports.

Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

In 2021, the federal government opened the bidding process for the concession of four major international airport terminals in the country.

Sirika said the preferred and reserve bidders are foreign companies in partnership with local firms.

He said the preferred bidder for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, is Corporacion America Airports consortium, while ENL consortium has also been selected as the reserve bidder for NAIA.

According to Sirika, the preferred bidder for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, is TAV/NAHCO/Project Plant Limited (PPL) consortium, while Sifax/Changi consortium has also been selected as the reserve bidder for MMIA.

For the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano; the preferred bidder is also Corporacion America Airports consortium. There are no reserve bidders for MAKIA yet.

The minister noted that the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), did not also receive any proposals when the request for proposal (RFP) deadline closed.

The RFP phase of the Nigeria airports concession programme (NACP), came to a close on September 19, 2022.

“The federal government, in line with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (establishment, etc.) act, 2005, and global best practices, are ready to inform all stakeholders, local and international, development partners and the media on development regarding airports concession,” he said.

Sirika also said the ministry was in consultation with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and other stakeholders for the fourth airport asset which did not receive bids at the time of the RFP deadline.

He said the process was multistage, adding that the outcome of the NACP was yet to come.

“The next stage of the programme is the negotiations and due diligence stage, during which the ministry will invite preferred bidders to enter detailed negotiations with its representatives, with a view to developing a full business case (FBC) before onward transmission to ICRC for review and approval,” he added.

“Only after a successful conclusion of the negotiation and due diligence stage will the FBC and all other approvals be presented before the federal executive council for final approval by the federal government.”

Sirika, therefore, urged all participants who had responded to RFP to continue referring to the NACP website, where all updates and relevant documentation, including updated FAQs, could be found.

He also assured that there would be no job loss, adding that the airports union were carried along as part of the project delivery team.

“In the negotiation with the bidders, we agreed that for the first two years, nobody will be touched. This means that there will be no job loss. After two years, the companies will evaluate the staff and retain those they want. Those that are not needed will be absorbed by FAAN,” he said.